A rare flower is blooming in the garden of the mountain section’s house.  It is Kinkacha (Camellia chrysantha).  It is a yellow camellia flower, and when it was discovered in 1965, it became a hot topic as a “phantom yellow camellia”.  It is a tropical camellia that grows naturally only in a limited area near Vietnam in the southern part of Guangxi Province, China.  At that time, it was designated as a natural monument in China, and it was a precious plant that was prohibited from being taken out of the country.  After that, the prohibition on taking out was lifted, and it is said that it came to Japan around 1980.  When it was first introduced to Japan, it was a gem that made maniacs and enthusiasts crazy.  Recently, it has become less talked about, and it is cultivated in any typical botanical garden.  The flowering season is from November to March of the following year, and it blooms until April in cool places.

山手のお家の庭に珍しい花が咲いています。金花茶です。黄色い椿の花で、1965年の発見時には「幻の黄色い椿」と話題になり、中国・広西省南部のうち、ベトナムに近い限られた地方にだけ自生している熱帯性のツバキです。当時は中国の天然記念物にも指定され、国外への持ち出しが禁止されるほど貴重な植物でした。その後、持ち出し禁止が解除され、日本に渡来したのは1980年頃といわれています。日本に移入された当初には、マニア、愛好家を狂わせたほどの逸品でした。最近はあまり話題になることも少なくなり、代表的な植物園ならば、どこでも栽培されています。花期は11月から翌年の３月頃で、涼しい所では４月頃まで咲いています。